Senator Sherrod Brown to Tom Curtis re: the GPO/WEP

From Sen. Sherrod Brown, April 27, 2007
Subject: Reply from Senator Sherrod Brown

Dear Ms. Curtis:
Thank you for expressing your opposition to the pension offset and windfall elimination provision(s) of the Social Security Act. I am pleased to be a cosponsor of S. 206, the Social Security Fairness Act, legislation that would repeal these unfair provisions.

From your letter, I understand you are aware that under the windfall elimination provision, retirees receiving benefits from a public pension fund may be subject to a reduction in their Social Security benefits. Under the pension offset, if you are a retired government worker and you qualify for a spousal Social Security benefit based on your spouse's employment record, you may not receive 100% of your earned benefit. The pension offset law reduces or entirely eliminates a Social Security spousal benefit when the surviving spouse is eligible for a pension from a local, state, or federal government job that was not covered by Social Security. I believe these provisions are patently unfair to individuals who earn their Social Security benefits and receive a pension. Social Security benefits should not be reduced based on other pension income.

Please be assured I will continue to push for prompt consideration of S. 206 and will support it should it come up for a vote. Thank you again for writing.

Sincerely,
Sherrod Brown